


My Little Knight

by CookieWaffle



Category: LOZ - Fandom, Legend of Zelda, Zelink - Fandom, legend of zelda breath of the wild
Genre: Childhood Trauma, Tears, child abuse tw, dysphoria tw, misgendering TW, not a happy fic just warnin' yalls, trans headcanons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-19
Updated: 2017-06-19
Packaged: 2018-11-15 21:56:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11240049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CookieWaffle/pseuds/CookieWaffle
Summary: Link was an amazingly skilled knight trained by his father, the captain of the royal gaurd. Many assume that Link dedicated his life to becoming a knight so he could be like his father, and that the two were close bonded.But people shouldn't just assume things.





	1. Chapter 1

Link was small and vulnerable, as five year olds usually are. But his spirit was free and unbreakable. His sweetness could bring a smile to anyone's face, and he had a love for all things. He loved the wind and the sky, he loved the land and the sea, he loved the animals and the trees, and he loved his family. The little boy found wonder and magic in every thing he saw.  
Link wanted to be just like his father, a courageous knight who's life was full of heroism and adventure. His father was once the captain of the royal guard. Someday Link wanted to go on adventures with his father. They would be a duo, and nothing would stand in their way! And Link's father liked that idea too. He said he would train him to be a knight someday when he was a little bit older, just like him! It was their family tradition for the first born to become a knight, and then train their first born to become a night, and so on and so on. Link couldn't wait to be a knight, it was going to be the adventure of a lifetime! Him and his father riding together in the grassy plains of Hyrule and fighting evil, it was going to be so fun! Link's mother didn't seem to think so, however. Every time she heard the two of them talking about it she looked like she felt uneasy. And every time Link spoke to her about it she tried to change the subject. It was almost as if she didn't approve of Link becoming a knight. Link didn't understand why she would't though. Didn't she want him to grow up big and strong and be a hero? Still though, he loved his mother. She would tell him amazing stories and sing to him. And when he was hurt or sad she would always comfort him. Link loved both of his parents dearly. Even though they would yell and shout at each other sometimes, and even though they gave him the wrong name and mistook him for a girl all of the time, he still loved them both dearly.  
Link lived near Zora's Domain, so most of his friends were Zoras. They taught him how to swim and play in the water. But sometime's he'd play a bit too rough and get hurt. Zoras had sharp teeth and claws and Link's soft skin wasn't as tough as Zora scales so accidents would sometimes happen during play fights. And aside from that, Link was a very energetic child. He loved to run and jump and climb, and he didn't always pay attention to where he was going. Luckily he had a special friend named Mipha who had healing powers. She would always heal him whenever he got a little too reckless. He never told her, but he had a little bit of a crush on her. But Mipha wasn't always around to help him out. One time he had fallen out of a tall tree he had climbed to the very top. The impact had rendered him unconscious for a while. When he woke up he was sore all over, and his arm hurt especially. But Link didn't let this bother him too much. He immediately got up and tried to continue playing. But his arm hurt too much so he decided to just go home and maybe practice reading with his mother. 

When he got home happily greeted his parents, "Hello Mama and Papa!"

His mother greeted back, "Hello sweetheart, did you have fun pla-OH MY GODDESSES YOUR ARM IS BROKEN! "

Link looked at his arm and he saw that it was bent incorrectly. 

"Ohhh, that's why it hurts." Link said nonchalantly.

His father let out a hardy laugh, "You mean you didn't even notice? You sure are a though little kid aren't you!"

The complement put a proud smile on Link's face.

His mother snapped at her husband, "It's not funny! She needs medical attention!"

"Alright, alright calm down. You can go get the village doctor and I'll stay here with Lakyn." His father said.

Link hated the name Lakyn. It was a girl's name. Not that he thought there was anything wrong with being a girl, he just didn't feel like one most the time. He much preferred the name Link. He didn't tell his parents that though, he was afraid they might get upset.  
Link's mother rushed off to find the village doctor and he was left behind with his father.

His father spoke to him, "You must be really strong you know that Lakyn? Even I would have cried from breaking my arm like that at your age." He ruffled Link's hair and that made him giggle, "You're going to bring honor to our family name, I can tell. You'll make a fearsome warrior with all of that strength and energy you have."

This made Link feel very proud of himself. He was going to be a fearsome warrior! And he was going to bring honor to his family's name! He couldn't wait! He ran over to his father and gave him a hug with his good arm. 

His father chuckled and pet Link on the head, "I know you'll make me proud, my little knight."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter is where things start to get really dark so I advise you to turn back now if you get easily triggered by things involving abuse, especially child abuse.
> 
> And this same warning goes for the other chapters as well, although a few of them may not be as intense as this one gets towards the end.

Link was hiding under his covers and trying to muffle out the screaming and yelling coming from the other room by sticking his head between his pillow. He could still hear them, but at least it wasn't as loud. The arguments had been getting more and more frequent lately, and they've been getting more intense too. Link hated the fighting. He wanted his mother and father to be happy again. Why couldn't they just all be happy?

He could hear his mother screaming, "She is just a CHILD! Why can't you let her be one!? She deserves to be happy carefree like other children, not waste the rest of her childhood away training to be a soldier!"

His father shouted back, "I'm going to train her wether you like it or not! This is our family's tradition!"

His mother shouted again, "I don't care what your family's tradition is! She's only seven years old!"

His father shouted back again, "So? I was even younger than that when my father started training me!" 

"Oh yea and look how great you turned out!" His mother said in a sarcastic tone.

"I became the captain of the royal guard!" His father's voice had gotten louder and more aggressive, it scared Link.

His mother yelled back, her voice also getting louder, although it didn't scare Link as much as his father's voice did, "You became cold!" His mother yelled, "It doesn't matter to me how successful you are or how much honor you brought your family, what matters to me is your heart, and it's cold!"

His father's voice grew louder again, "I had to! In order to focus myself completely on my duty as a knight I had to rid myself of compassion. But I still leave room in my heart for Lakyn. She wants to be a knight, you hear her talking about it all the time! And I'm going to give that to her. She wants to do this, don't hold her back!" 

His mother yelled back even louder than his father did, "She only wants to do it because she sees it as a game and she doesn't understand! You've been convincing her that for years by sugar coating everything every time you talk to her about it! And you don't lover her, you love what you plan to make her into. Which is YOU, cold and harsh, without love or compassion. But you won't do that. You can't do that. She won't let you. has too much love in her heart, so much so that you'll never be able to fully get rid of it no matter how hard you may try! And her spirit is free, so much so that you'll never be able to control it. I can see it in her eyes and you can too, she'll never be like you!"

Suddenly Link heard something crash and then there was silence. Had they finally stopped? He had hoped so. But he had a bad feeling that something wasn't right. Link slowly slipped out from under his bed covers and quietly snuck outside the room that his parents were arguing in. He peeped his head through the doorway to see what was going on. He saw his mother sitting in a chair with her face buried in her hands. His father was standing in the corner of the room rubbing his temple, which is something he did when he was annoyed or angry. There was something shattered on the ground, it looked like it could have been a vase. 

Link thought to himself, "Did he throw a vase at Mama? No... He wouldn't do that, papa is a good guy and a hero, someone must have nocked it down on accident. Yea that's what happened." 

Then Link saw his mother get up and quickly leave the room. She topped when she spotted him on the way out. Link saw her face, she had been crying, and she had cut that was bleeding a lot above her eyebrow. 

"Mama you’re hurt!" Link said in alarm. He started to cry, he didn't like seeing his mother sad and hurt. 

His mother knelt down this his level and began to softly rub his ears, "Lakyn, baby, mommy needs to leave for a while and I don't know when I'll be back. But while I'm gone you have to stay strong, can you do that for me sweetie?" 

Link was scared and confused, "What do you mean? Why are you leaving? Where are you going?" 

His mother got up and started heading for the door.

"No Mama don't leave!" Link pleaded.

His mother turned to him one last time and said while fighting back tears, "I'll come back for you. I promise."

Then she left. Link wanted to run out the door for her but his father grabbed him and held him back.

"No Lakyn! She's leaving and there's nothing you can do!" He said.

Link tried to struggle away from him but he wasn't strong enough, "But I want Mama to come back! I want my Mama!"

"Go back to bed Lakyn." Was all that his father said.

"No! I want Mama" Link protested.

Then his father shouted, "NOW!" In a voice that nearly scared Link to death.

Link obeyed and ran back to his bed sobbing, and he cried himself to sleep.

Link had hoped that maybe his mother would return the next day, but she didn't. She didn't return the next few days either, or the next few weeks. Still, Link kept hope in his heart. She had promised, and his mother never broke a promise.  
About a month after the incident Link's father came up to him to tell him something. 

"Lakyn, I have some important news for you." He started.

Link listened attentively. 

"I believe you are ready to begin you training." He sad.

Link couldn't believe his ears. He was so excited that he couldn't stand still. He began jumping up and down and running in circles.

"I'm gonna be a knight! I'm gonna be a knight!" He sang cheerfully.

His father spoke again, "And we're moving to Castle Town."

Link stopped in his tracks. He looked up at his father and asked, "Why?"

His father answered, "There you will get to see real knights and soldiers and learn more about how they work and what they do. And it will also be easier to train you there." 

Link became excited again, "Oh boy! I get to see real knights! Yes yes yes!" 

Then he stopped when he realized something, "But wait... What about all my friends? What about Mipha?"

His father answered, "You won't see them again. In fact you can't have any friends at all, you must put all your focus in training, relationships would just serve as distractions. And you won't be going to school anymore either, I will be teaching you from now on." 

Link was beginning to not like the sound of this. He tried to protest, "But I like school! And I wanna keep playing with my friends!"

"Do not argue with me young lady!" His father shouted at him.

"But Papa!" Said Link.

"Do not call me that! You are not to call me that anymore. From now on it is "Sir". Do you understand that? This is a verbal warning, do not test my patience girl." His father said intimidatingly.

"But Papa! what if Mama comes back and we're not here?"

Link suddenly felt a painful blow hit the side of his face and it knocked him to the ground. He sat up and rubbed his cheek. It took him a moment to realize what had happened. His own father had hit him. 

"Let that be your first lesson. Never question my authority or disobey me. Do you understand Lakyn?" His father said firmly.

Tears were streaming down Link's face. His father had hit him. Why would he hit him? He never hits him. Good guys weren't supposed to hit kids, only bad guys did that.

"Answer me Lakyn." His father said, his voice getting harsher.

Link just kept crying on the ground.

"Answer me now!" His father shouted harshly.

Link tried to answer his father, "Yes Papa I Unders-" 

Link felt another blow to his head. He was hit again. 

"Wrong! Say it again!" His father yelled at him.

Link said it while choking back tears, "I understand sir..." 

His father was finally satisfied with his answer and then said coldly, "Get up. And stop crying. Next time I see you crying you get pain. Knights don't ever cry. Do you understand?"

Link stood up, "Yes sir." But he was still crying, as much as he tried to stop. 

He felt his father grab one of his years and yank it hard. So hard that Link feared that he might rip it off. 

"What did I just tell you?!" His father yelled furiously.

This just made Link cry even harder. His father threw him to the ground, and when he tried to get up he was kicked back down. 

"Stop crying!" 

His father yanked his hair to make him stand up.

"Stop crying!"

This kept going on until Link physically could not cry anymore. He was so exhausted and mentally drained that he could not cry anymore.  
They left for castle town that night. Link didn't even get the chance to say goodbye to his friends. Although he was exhausted, it was hard for him to sleep. He was scared. This wasn't his father, it couldn't have been. 

He thought silently to himself as he lay in the in the horse wagon, "Why would he hurt me? We're supposed to be friends. We were gonna team up and have adventures together and be heroes." The boy didn't understand. He thought and thought but he just couldn't understand. And he came to a conclusion, "That's not Papa. It can't be, Papa would never hurt me! He's a hero not a bad guy! He's been possessed! A demon must have gone into his mind and possessed him and is making him act like a bad guy now. This explains everything! The reason why he's been yelling at Mama and the reason why he hurt me." It did comfort Link a bit to think that the man who had beaten him was not his real father, but it also scared him, "What do I do now? How do I get my real Papa back?" 

Then he remembered what his mother had said to him, "I'll come back for you. I promise."

"She'll come back!" Link thought, "Mama never breaks a promise. She'll come back for me even if we are moving away! She may be confused to see we're not there at first but my Mama is real smart and she can find out where we went. And when she comes back I'll tell her that Papa was possessed by a demon and then we'll work together to find a way to save him. And when we do save him we'll all be together and happy again and then Papa can can teach me how to be a knight like how a good guy would, without hurting me. And then we could go on adventures together and be heroes!" 

Link liked this plan. All he had to do now was wait for his mother to come get him. But meanwhile he had to stay strong, just like his mother asked him to. It was going to be hard but Link had faith in his mother. She would come back. He prayed she would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> O FUCK I JUST REALIZED I STARTED WRITING THIS ON FATHER'S DAY I AM SO AWFUL HO LSH IT
> 
> This was NOT intended I SWEAR.
> 
> Also I legit made myself cry while writing this dear god what have I done.


	3. Chapter 3

The first thing Link had to learn was how not to cry in front of his father. Crying brought pain. He did manage to get the hang of it after a while, although he would occasionally slip up here and there. He also quickly learned that he should never laugh or smile around his father either, for it brought the same response from him as did crying. Controlling his laughter was a bit easier than controlling his tears though.  
Link was now nine years old and his mother had still not returned. But he still held faith. His father was still possessed, but sometimes Link could see his real father fighting back the demon that possessed him. But those moments were few and far between. Those moments were times like when he complimented him by saying, "You were strong today, be strong tomorrow too." After a day of training. Link thought that was his real father telling him to not give up and that his mother was coming to save them and that he just needed to keep being strong through this.  
Link's father started to train him to do various things like how fight and defend himself with a sword and how to shoot a bow and arrow. He would have enjoyed learning these things if his father were not so brutally harsh every time he made a mistake. Every time he slipped up he'd get yelled at or smacked on the back of the head really hard. Or sometimes even worse, he'd get whipped with a cane or a belt. But fortunately when it came to sword wielding and shooting that didn't happen too often. Link seemed to be naturally skilled at those things, it even surprised his father. He was also taught survival skills like starting fires and gathering food. He also learned how to cook, which Link actually quite enjoyed doing, even if he did burn his fingers a few times. What he did not enjoy however, was hunting. He got the most beatings during hunting practice. He would refuse to shoot the animals. He loved the animals and did not want to hurt them. His father did manage to scare him into taking down a boar once but he couldn't bring himself cut out it's meat. Hearing the boar's shrieks of pain and seeing it bleed to death was already more than he could bear and it made him vomit. His stubbornness got to the point where his father felt he had no choice but to starve Link until made a kill and prepared it himself. He went five days without any food. The hunger made Link slip up more, which resulted in him getting beaten more often. He couldn't take it any longer so he finally gave in and made a kill. It was a doe. He made sure to shoot her in the head so that her suffering would be over quick. He vomited multiple times while cutting out her meat. But he had nothing in his stomach to vomit up so it just game out as bile. Still, he forced himself to do it. He thought that cooking the meat would be the easy part, but that was hard too. He was so hungry that it took all of his strength to keep himself from eating the food raw. In reality the meat only took a few minutes to cook but to him it felt like hours. As soon as it was done he immediately scarfed everything down without thinking to let it cool. He burnt his tongue doing that but he didn't care, he just wanted to eat.  
Link still had a hard time hunting after that but he didn't dare refuse to do it when his father told him to ever again. And he always made sure to give the animal a quick and humane death, and also to thank the animal for their sacrifice. There was one thing that he hated training for more than hunting though, even after that traumatic experience. And that was pain endurance. He had to learn how to take a hit without cowering away, and how to stand his ground while he was in physical pain. None of the exercises his father made him do ever drew blood or left him with any severe injuries, but they did push Link to the breaking point. He had to do things like repeatedly get punched in the chest, sleeping outside naked, kneeling on hot surfaces with his bare knees and elbows, getting hit on the back of the legs and on his back with a cane, and other various things. Link would sometimes even pass out from the pain and that would just make his father do it over again and double the amount of time he had to do it for. And he had to go through all of this without shedding a single tear, every time he did, his father would add on more time to what he was doing. Still though, he kept having faith that his mother would return. But that faith was tested every day she didn't come back.


	4. Chapter 4

She was never coming back. And that was his real father. This was just his life now, and at eleven years old Link finally learned to accept that. She broke her promise, or might have even died, either way she was never coming back. And his father wasn't the hero he thought he was. That's just how it was going to be and there was nothing he could do to change that. He didn't cry though, he was good at that now. But he still felt grief on the inside. His father told him that he must stop expressing his emotions both outward and inward. But Link couldn't do that, his heart was too big, so he still kept everything on the inside, away from where his father could see. All of his sadness, all of his fear, all of his loneliness, hidden away as his face on the outside showed no emotion. But this had it's consequences. He was always afraid he would slip up, that some form of emotion would leak out and his father would see. The beatings had gotten harsher now that he was older and his body could handle them more, and they would no doubt get even worse as he aged. He couldn't take it anymore, the mere thought of him making a mistake gave him anxiety. It was too much, and it started to give him panic attacks. If crying got him beat than panic attacks brought him a whole other world of pain. And this in turn gave him even more anxiety. Eventually he subconsciously developed a habit of shutting down under high pressure situations. In other words it rendered him mute. He couldn't speak at all. On the upside it also made him look even more devoid of emotion, but on the downside it hard for him to communicate with anyone. At first it only happened once in a while but then it kept on happening more and more often until eventually he rarely ever spoke unless it was demanded of him. But this did not displease his father. As a matter of fact it he actually preferred it.  
Link's father did not deprive him of every joy, however. He bought him a horse and taught him how to ride. Link loved that horse more than anything in the world. Her name was Epona and she was as fast as the wind. She was his only friend and his only escape. His father said to not get attached and that she was only for work. But that didn't stop Link, his heart was too big. He bonded closely with Epona. They seemed to understand each other at a subconscious level, and she was the only one he could express his emotions to. When his father was not around, he would speak to her and tell her what he felt, but more often than not he would just show her. He would hold on to her when scared and cry into her mane when sad. And when she was upset he would sing to her. They went on daily rides together, that's when Link was the happiest. He finally felt free again. He could let go of his fear and loneliness and just be free, even if it was for only a short time each day. He almost felt like did back when he was little, carefree and full of life. Those rides were the only thing that brought Link genuine happiness. Seeing the beautiful landscapes and feeling the wind against his face as he rode through the grassy fields. It almost felt as if he was flying. Sometimes he would imagine that he was riding an ancient loftwing and soaring through the skies. But he always had to come back to the real world eventually. Sometimes while he was riding Epona he was tempted to just run off and never return. He could possibly do it. He knew how to survive in the wild and how to defend himself. But he never had the guts to do it. He had a duty to fulfill and his family name to honor. And he was also afraid that his father would eventually find him and he'd be in more trouble than he ever had been before. So he never did it.  
Soon after Link turned twelve he hit puberty. He had always known he was really a boy, but he didn't think puberty would be a big challenge for him. He was wrong. He never had a problem with his body before but now he hated it. He hated how he was changing, he hated the painful cramps, he hated the mood swings, and most of all he hated what was happening with his chest. It was getting bigger and more sensitive. It just felt wrong to him, like it shouldn't be happening. He knew it was a normal part of life but he still felt like it shouldn't be happening to him. He was disgusted with his body and uncomfortable in his own skin. He felt like he should hide his chest. At first that wasn't too difficult of a task because they were still small, but after a while they became more and more visible and it made Link feel more and more uncomfortable. Eventually it got to the point where he started binding his chest with bandages. It hurt and made it more difficult to breath and harder to train without slipping up but it worked at making his chest flat for the most part. But that didn't last long. His father eventually noticed that he had been getting slower, and became out of breath more quickly than he did before. 

"What is wrong with you girl? Get up!" His father yelled as he hit him on the side of the head. 

Link tried to keep going, but he just couldn't. He fell to the ground a passed out from lack of oxygen. His father quickly rushed to his aid and opened his shirt to find the bandages squeezing his ribcage to the point where he could no longer breath. He immediately took out a knife and cut away the bandages. Link soon returned to consciousness to find his father looking down at him angrily. 

"What were you thinking girl?! You are an idiot! You could have cracked your ribs doing that!" He yelled furiously. 

Link tried to give an answer. "M-My chest hurts me... It gets in the way..." Link's voice sounded weak and timid, it was the first time he had spoken in weeks.

"Well that doesn't seem to bother any of the other female soldiers! You think you can make up excuses like that just because you're a woman?!" His father yelled at him again.

Link was not a woman. He was a boy. But he didn't dare tell his father that. He was far too afraid to.  
He was punished for what he did. His time in pain endurance training was tripled and he was not allowed to take Epona out for a month. He swore to himself he would never do it again. As much as he hated his chest being visible it wasn't worth this. It wasn't worth being deprived of the only thing that made him happy.  
When he was finally able to ride Epona again, he took her out the first chance he got and they rode faster than they ever had before. They both needed to get out. When it was almost time to head back he and Epona took a short break before riding home. Link gazed up at Hyrule castle. It was huge and had some kind of grace and beauty to it. Someday he would be in that castle once he was old enough to join the soldiers who defended it. He was actually kind of looking forward to it. If it was this beautiful from the outside he couldn't imagine what it must have looked like from the inside. Then, suddenly, Link got a strange feeling. Something was telling him to focus on one of the castle's battlements. He did so, and at first he didn't know what he was looking for. And then he saw it. It was the color of sunshine and if flowed through the wind ever so gracefully. Link couldn't make out what it was at first so he rode closer to the castle to get a better look. Then he saw it more clearly. It was hair, and it belonged to a girl. She was gazing out at the sky as the wind blew through her beautiful yellow hair. She looked very close to Link's age as well. 

At first he couldn't figure out why there would be a young girl standing on the castle battlement. But then he realized, "That must be the princess." He thought, "I didn't know her hair was so pretty."

Then he noticed the princess look change her focus. She was looking in his general direction now. 

"Is she... looking at me?" He thought, "No that's ridiculous, she can't be." 

Still though, he was curious. So he decided to try out a little experiment to see if she was really looking at him. He held up one hand and waved. And to his great surprise, she waved back. She really did see him. He was almost tempted to try communicating with the princess even more but he knew that would be a poor choice, and he needed to get home before his father grew angry with him. 

That night as he lay in bed, he thought about the princess, "Is she lonely too?" He wondered, "I don't think there are any other children in Hyrule Castle, it must get lonely for her sometimes. I heard her mother died when she was six. That's not much younger than I was when Mama left, I wonder if we miss our mothers the same way." Then he wondered, "I wonder what made me look in her direction. It felt like I was being drawn to her or something. Does the princess have that effect on everyone or was it just me? Well she is descended from the goddesses Hylia, it would make sense that people might sometimes be drawn to her, and I guess that also explains why her hair looks like sunshine. I don't think too many normal girls have hair like that. I wonder if her face is prettier than most other girls too. It probably is." 

Link fell asleep peacefully that night, which was not something that happened commonly. Something about seeing the princess that day made him feel calm and at peace.


	5. Chapter 5

The Hylian military was not supposed to let in anyone under the age of eighteen, but Link was an exception. He was a fiercely skilled fighter. He could take down monsters twice his size all by himself, he could shoot down a moving target while riding a horse at top speed, and he could survive off only the land for weeks at a time. But the thing that impressed people the most, was that he took down a lynel, one of the most fearsome creatures to walk the land. A job that often required many soldiers at once was done by a little thirteen year old. So they let him in. But he really wished that they hadn't.  
Link did not like wearing armor. It was heavy and it felt like his movement was restricted while wearing it. Link much preferred to wear clothing that was easy to move and be free in, but the armor he wore made him feel like he was trapped. And it was too big for him. It had to be custom fitted because none of the armor that was already available was small enough to fit him. But the blacksmith who made it was not used to making armor for children so he still made it a bit too big by mistake. His father said he'd grow into it though.  
He didn't like the other soldiers either. They were cruel to him. They did not like how they had to work hard to join the military but then a mere child was able to outdo them and get accepted in almost immediately. They liked to mess with and torment him endlessly. They would sometimes even beat him. His father followed one rule while training him, and that was to never draw blood or break anything. Link's fellow soldiers however, did not have that rule. His father saw what they did to him sometimes, and most the time he did nothing unless he thought they might break something. One time one of the guards even sexually assaulted him, but he didn't say anything to his father about it. He was afraid that he'd get angry at him for letting it happen.  
Link hated being in the military. His father was even harsher him during training than he ever was before. And he was constantly pushed to the limit every day. He couldn't even ride Epona for leisure anymore, she was now strictly only for work. He was the loneliest he had ever been at that time. The only one who had still loved him, Epona, was being kept away from him. No one cared about him, he was surrounded by people who resented him. In everyone else's eyes he was just a weapon or an inconvenience. He wanted to go home, back to his village near Zora's domain. He wanted to see Mipha again as well as his other friends. He wanted to run around in the grass carelessly and climb trees and play like he used to. And most of all he wanted his mother back. He missed her more than anything. He just wanted to see her again, even if it was just for a day. He'd do anything to feel her warmth and love, to have her hold him and sing him to sleep again. He wanted that more than anything in the world. But at the same time he was angry with her. He was angry that she left him behind, and he was angry that she had broken her promise. She said she would come back for him. But she never did.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for transphobia in some parts of this chapter.

Link was getting a little bit more rebellious and reckless, as fifteen year olds usually are. He got his ears pierced without letting his father know. He wasn't allowed to have any jewelry on because it could get snagged on something while training or fighting. But Link got his ears pierced anyways and got some pretty blue earrings to wear. He rarely was ever able to express himself with what he wore and he just wanted to feel like he looked nice for a change. He rarely got to wear them though. He did not want his father to know that he had them so he only put them on while he was alone. He did get caught with the earrings eventually but the punishment was only a hard slap in the face, which was much less than he had expected. But he did really get it for something else that he did in secret, and he already knew he would get caught but felt it was worth it. He had been saving up his rupees for a cosmetic operation. He just couldn't stand living in his own skin anymore. His father said he would get used to what grew on his chest but he never did. He only hated them more and more over time. He had to get rid of them. And he did. His father figured it out right away when he noticed that his chest was flat all of a sudden. He got the beating of a lifetime for it but he didn't care. It was all worth it to him. He could now finally feel comfortable in his own skin again, even if he was going to be sore for a while. He also snuck out at night from time to time to take Epona out for rides. He needed to feel the wind on his face and he needed to feel free again. It was the only time he didn't feel trapped. But he always had to come back in the end.  
After Link's operation the other soldiers had eventually caught on to Link identifying as male, and they made an effort to torment him every chance they got. 

"You're the most delusional woman I've ever met."

"Quit pretending to be a guy, you'll never really be one."

"How will you find someone to marry? No one is going to be attracted to you now after what you did to yourself."

Link never showed that they got to him. He refused to give them the satisfaction. But the words still stung. Eventually things became too much for him. One night he took Epona for a ride. He rode off far, farther than he was allowed too. He stopped and dismounted at a large river. He gazed at the reflection of the moon in the rapidly rushing water. Then, he cried. He let all the years of pent up misery and loneliness flow out. He stood out there for a few hours, just crying. Occasionally Epona would nuzzle him or gently nibble on his hair or clothing as if she was trying to comfort him. He was grateful for that, at least there was one person who still cared for him.  
The water was rushing by very rapidly. It would have taken great effort for even a Zora to be able to swim in it. Link focused intently at the water. It hypnotized him. It seemed to be drawing him in. The water looked so inviting to Link. It ran free, nothing could contain it's spirit. He wanted to be free like the water, he wanted to join it, to become one with it. He wanted to be free of his misery and loneliness. He would surely drown but he didn't mind. He would finally be free. He mounted Epona again and rode her not too far away but somewhere where she couldn't see what he was about to do. He dismounted her again and took off her bridle and saddle, she wouldn't be needing them anymore. 

He whispered softly into her ear, "You can go now, you're free." 

Link walked back to the river. It called to him. It was begging him to jump in. he was going to do it, he was ready. He would finally be free again. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply before stepping in. And then the next thing he knew he felt something aggressively yank on his ponytail and pull him back and he was thrown to the ground. He opened his eyes to see his father glaring at him with more furiosity than he had ever seen in him before. Link was terrified, so much so that he couldn't even process what his father was screaming at him. He was being kicked repeatedly in the ribs. He tried to stand to his feet but he was kicked in the head and he fell back down. Then he was picked up by his hair and had his face smashed into a rock. Link curled up on the ground and tried shield himself from the blows but he couldn't for very long. His father dragged him back up by the throat and punched him in the stomach. 

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!" 

He was punched again. Link couldn't hold back the tears this time. He began sobbing uncontrollably as he was thrown to the ground again. He looked down and saw little red droplets hitting the dirt beneath his face. He reached his hand to his nose and it was wet and it was bleeding everywhere. He started to have a panic attack and was hyperventilating. He wanted to go home. He was done with this. He didn't care about becoming a knight or honoring the family name, he just wanted to go home. 

"Are you not going to answer me girl?!" His father screamed at him.

Link tried to speak. It was difficult to and his voice was weak and shaky, "I... I... I want... I want my mom back..."

There was silence. The only sounds where the rushing waters of the river and the soft sound of Link's sobs.

His father spoke, but this time his voice held no emotion, "Lakyn... Look at me." 

Link looked up at him. He felt so pathetic. So small. 

His father knelt down to him and tilted his chin up to examine the boy's face. 

"You're nose is broken. Dammit, I went too far." He said, "Get back to your horse, when we get home I'll fix up your nose. Now do it quickly before I change my mind." 

They rode back together in complete silence. They rode side by side together through the grassy plains of Hyrule. Link remembered how when he was younger it was his dream to ride side by side with his father, it looked like he really did get his wish in a way. But back then he would have never imagined that it would be like this. They weren't friends or heroes. His father was a warrior yes, but he was not heroic. He was a cold hearted man who valued his family name above all else. And Link was just an unloved battered child. This is not at all how he had imagined it to be like.  
Having his wounds be tended to and care for by his father felt surreal. He thought that he would be rough and intentionally cause more pain but instead he was gentile and careful not to hurt him. Just like how he used to treat him back when before he began his training all those years ago. But he knew this was all just because he had broken his rule and drew blood and broke something. This wouldn't last. But it made Link think back on the times when they were friends, and when his family was together and happy. He remembered the way his father used to ruffle his hair and give him big hugs and call him his little knight. 

"Was it all a lie?" He thought silently, "Did he really love me back then or was he just faking it?" 

Link almost hoped he really was faking it all along so that he could be mad at him. But still, a part of him wanted to believe that maybe, just maybe, that deep down in his cold heart, his father still loved him at least a little bit. And then he realized, he didn't just want his mother back. He wanted his father back too. His real father. His friend. The man that he wanted to go on heroic adventures with. He wanted his Papa back.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is really short but the next one will be longer.

Everyone in the kingdom ten years or older was to attempt to pull the Sword of Evil's Bane by order of the king. Hundreds had already tried but to no avail. It was almost Link's turn to pull the sword, he would be next right after his father was done trying to have a go at it. Link knew there was one chance in literally thousands that the sword would choose him. But still he dreaded the thought of himself being chosen. He had already an immense amount of pressure put on him constantly, the last thing he needed was the entire kingdom's fate placed on his shoulders. 

His thoughts raced with anxiety as he tried to reason with himself, "Of course she's not gonna pick me, that would be ridiculous. She wouldn't pick someone who doesn't want to do it would she? Besides, I'm like what, seventeen years old? She wouldn't let some kid wield her no way! Why am I calling it a she? It's a sword..."

Soon it was his turn. He froze in fear for a moment until he saw his father give him a mean glare. 

He stepped up to the pedestal and closed his eyes. He tried to calm himself down, "It will be okay. You're gonna pull on the sword and when you open your eyes it will still be stuck in the the pedestal, and then I can go home." 

He pulled, then he heard gasps from people all around him. He opened his eyes, and saw that the sword was out of it's pedestal. 

"No no no... this didn't just happen... Why me? Why did it have to be me? I don't want this! Why can't it be someone else?!" Link's mind and heart were racing. 

He was almost tempted to try and stick the sword back in and pretend that nothing had happened but he knew that would be wrong of him to do. It was now Link's duty to wield the sword and become one of Hyrule's champions. He could not refuse. He looked over at his father with a pleading look as if to say "help me". But his father looked just as surprised as he was. Never before in all his life had he seen his father stuck with such a dumbfounded look on his face. It was surreal.  
Link took the responsibility without complaint, even though he was terrified. He wasn't sure what to do next so he just went home with his father. He figured that a messenger would be sent over to them and tell them what to do or something. The two did not speak to each other on the way back to the barracks. His father was too shocked and Link was having a mini panic attack from all the anxiety that not only came from pulling the sword but also from all the stares he got from every single person he passed by. That sword stuck out like a sore thumb and everyone could recognize it. When they finally arrived, Link's father stopped him before entering.

"Lakyn I..." His father searched for the right words to say, "I knew you would become a respected knight one day but... I was not expecting this..."

Link didn't know where his father was going with this but he listened attentively.

His father looked him in the eyes, "Lakyn, I'm proud of you."

Link thought he must have had something stuck in his ears. He couldn't have heard that right. Then, with no expectation whatsoever, Link's father embraced him in a hug. He couldn't believe what was happening, he must have been dreaming. He couldn't remember the last time his father, or anyone for that matter, held him. Link allowed himself to show some emotion and wrapped his arms around tightly his father. 

It took all his strength to keep himself from weeping and saying, "I missed you Papa, I missed you so much." 

He didn't say anything though. He wanted to be careful not to ruin the moment. This was the first time his father had shown him any form of affection in ten years. He was not going to let this moment go to waste. He was so deprived of love that he would accept it from anyone, even the man who had deprived him of it in the first place. He had his old father back, even if it was only for a brief moment.


	8. Chapter 8

Link no longer had to live with his father, he now had his very own quarters in Hyrule Castle. He got to meet the king, which was a great honor for him. The king told him that he would become his daughter's appointed knight, and that it was from now on his job to defend her with his life. Link fully accepted the responsibility. If he could take down a lynel at thirteen he could easily follow around a girl all day and be her bodyguard. Things could easily get awkward between he and the princess though. Link wasn’t exactly the best conversationalist.  
Soon after that he met the other champions. He was nervous at first, worried that they might treat him the same way his fellow soldiers used to. But those fears were soon put to rest when walked in the room to meet them. Because the zora champion was no one other than Mipha, his friend from childhood. She ran up to him and embraced him as soon as she recognized him. She had grown a lot, but Link could tell it was still Mipha. He embraced her back, he had forgotten how much her truly missed her. Again he had to fight back tears. Unfortunately he felt like he needed to hide his emotions around the champions as well. Although he did give him self at least some slack around Mipha. Sadly though, they would not be spending much time alone together. He was going to spend most of his time with the princess from now on, who he would meet the next day.  
The other champions respected Link and it felt good to be respected by his peers for once. Well, most of his peers. The rito champion, Revali, seemed to hold some resentment towards him. He wasn't too much of a bother though. The worst he ever did was be overly arrogant and boastful in order to try and get under Link's skin. It didn't get to him though, he was used to dealing with much worse. The goron champion Daruk on the other hand was very friendly. A little too friendly. Link was not used to big intimidating looking people being nice to him so the friendliness kind of overwhelmed him at first. And then there was Urbosa, the gerudo champion. She was a towering eight feet tall and had rippling muscles. She looked like she could easily snap Link in half if she wanted too, and that's not also to mention that she was very attractive. Link found himself a bit intimidated by her at first, but she fortunately turned out to be a very kindhearted woman underneath her intimidating exterior, although at times she did like to be a bit michevious.  
Link remembered the first time he saw Princess Zelda when he was twelve years old. He wondered if she remembered seeing him. But even if she did she surely would not recognize him. He thought he was prepared for the day that he met her face to face. But he was wrong. So wrong. The moment he saw her face his heart melted. He had never seen anything more beautiful in his entire life. Her hair was the color of sunshine, her eyes were as green as the grass in the spring, and her face looked like it was sculpted by the goddesses themselves. But he still refused to show any emotion. He said nothing, made no expression, only payed her respect. He figured he'd get over it sooner or later anyways. But he was wrong. So wrong.  
The more time Link spent with Princess Zelda over the next few months the more he fell helplessly in love with her. He loved everything about her. He loved her bright smile, he loved her voice, he loved her beautiful eyes, he loved her laugh, he loved her mannerisms, he loved the way she carried herself, he loved when she would ramble on and on about her research, he loved everything she was. But it was a doomed love. He knew that they would never be together and it killed him. It killed him that his love was impossible, it killed him that he could never tell her, it killed him that he couldn't express his emotions or speak around her. And if that didn't kill him enough, she resented him. He honestly couldn't blame her. She had been working so hard to do her part all her life and had nothing to show for it, whereas Link seemed to be naturally highly skilled and was able to pull out the Master Sword with no effort. How could he blame her? He was a constant reminder of all her failures, and she resented him for it. He would sometimes even notice her giving him cold glares. He acted like it didn't effect him though. But on the inside it did. It saddened him greatly. He hoped that she would at least grow to feel neutral about him, but he tried not to get his hopes up about it too much. But nothing could change how strongly he felt about her, and he felt a heavy amount of shame for it. He was so helplessly lovesick that he couldn't rid himself of his emotions no matter how hard he tried. He would sometimes even have dreams of her loving him back. And he was ashamed of himself for all of it. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't get rid of these feelings he had for the princess, his heart was just too big. He couldn't do it himself, so sought after help from the one person he knew who could set him straight. His father.  
He came to him one night, begging for his help.

"Sir... I've done something terrible... I need you to help. Please..." Link said to him, "I... I've fallen in love with Princess Zelda..."

"You did WHAT?!" His father yelled, "How could you do this? Were all those years of teaching you to show no emotion for nothing? What is wrong with you!? Even now you disappoint me! I thought that you might achieve greatness, but instead you have turned out to be a waist of all the time and energy I put into training you not to do this!" 

"I tried sir! But I was too weak. That's why I need you. I need you to set me straight, to make me not feel these emotions anymore!" Link pleaded.

"How could I possibly help you? The deed is already done!" His father shouted.

"Anything! Beat me, torture me, just do anything that would help stop me from being in love with her!" 

His father stood silently for a moment rubbing his temple in irritation. Then he said to Link, "Tell me, how does she feel about you?"

"She despises me..." Link said sorrowfully.

"Then that should be punishment enough." His father said, "Now leave. And never speak to me again until you've saved Hyrule. Maybe then you will regain my respect."

Link left silently. He wasn't hit or beaten this time but somehow he felt like this wasn't any better. He had no idea what to do now. All he could do now was face his pain head on and just learn to deal with it.

Link's father knew that he could do absolutely nothing to set Link straight. Love was an incredibly difficult emotion to contain, especially for someone around Link's age. He could shout at and beat the boy all wanted but he knew very well that it would be to no avail. Link's heart was just too big.


	9. Chapter 9

The princess of Hyrule was small and vulnerable, as five year olds usually are. But her spirit was free and unbreakable, just like her father's. She wanted to be just like her father, a courageous ruler who's life was full of heroism and adventure. Her father was once her mother's appointed knight. Her father took her on adventures. He taught her how to do things how to like play, climb, ride a horse, and be kind to the animals. He also taught her serious things for defense like how to use a sword and a bow and arrow. But he never pushed her. He never hit or yelled at her when she made a mistake. He was patient, gentile, kind, and loving. He let her learn at her own pace and was always proud of her. She saw him as a hero, and he was. He had faced agaisnt all odds and yet he still stood victorious. Even when he was pushed to the breaking point he stood strong. But sometimes even he had nightmares. Nightmares that came from his past and woke him up in the late hours of the night. And when that happened her mother would kiss away his tears and sing him back to sleep. 

Queen Zelda of Hyrule loved her King deeply. He had lived a life of suffering and hardship. For many such traumas may have made them coldhearted and without compassion. But Link remained gentile and kind despite it all. It still hurt though, it always would, but she would always be there for him. She loved everything about him and all that he was. Their love never grew dull. She showed him love and affection at every chance she got. She would make sure that he never felt lonely again. And she also loved the daughter she made with him. They had worked so hard for that child. People said it would be impossible and that she should just find another man that could provide children for her, but they managed to do it anyways. It took some powerful magic and countless trail and error but they finally did it. They had a daughter. 

The cycle ended with Link. He wouldn't even consider the thought of training his daughter the way his father trained him. And his father couldn't say anything about it for he died more than a hundred years ago. He was going to let her choose her own path and love her for what she already was. And he was going to make damn sure she knew that he loved her too. He spent time with her every chance he got. He would comfort her when she was hurt or sad and would always be the hero she saw him as.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yea I know it's kind of a sappy ending but that boy deserves a happy ending and dammit I'm gonna give it to him!


	10. Bonus Chapter

King Link of Hyrule received an odd letter. It was from an old woman had requested that the king see her on her deathbed. The queen advised against it, fearing that it may have been a trap set up by the Yiga Clan. But Link went anyways. He couldn't refuse a dying subject's simple final wishes, his heart was too big. And if it really did turn out to be a trap, well then he'd figure it out. He always did.  
But fortunataly as it turned out, the request was genuine and it not a trap set up by the Yiga. He arrived at a small village hospital. He didn't have too much trouble with people making a fuss over him because he fit in pretty well with everyone else and most people didn't even recognize him at first glance. This was because he never made a big entrance or wore extravagant clothing like most other kings did. He only really did that during important events or when meeting with forien powers.  
He entered the old woman's room and saw her lying on a bed with her eyes shut. She was ancient. She must have been so old that the may have been born even before the great calamity. 

The old woman slowly opened her eyes, "who's there?" She asked.

Although the woman's voice was frail and weak, but Link could hear a familiar warmth to it. 

Link responded awkwardly, "It's uhh me. The king of Hyrule... You asked for me?"

"Ah yes! I was afraid that you might not come! Please sweetheart, come closer so I can see your face." The woman requested.

Link obeyed the request and moved closer to her so that she could see him.

Then the woman said, "Oh my... you... you're all grown up. And you're so beautiful... I can still see the sweetness in your eyes." Link noticed that her eyes were beginning to tear up, "I will say that I did not expect you would become a man though. But that doesn't bother me in the slightest. I’m just glad I get to see you again." 

Link had no idea what the old woman was saying but he kept on listening.

The old woman placed her trembling hand on his and said, "I'm so sorry I left you... I don't ask for your forgiveness Lakyn, or Link I should say. I don't deserve to be forgiven for leaving you behind. But there is one thing I do ask of you. I want to be with you in my last moments. I know it will not make up for any of the time I missed, but I at least want you to be the last face I see."

Link could feel his mind race, which is something that happened every time he stared to recover a memory. He had already gained most of his memories back, but there was one that was stuck in the back of his mind that he could never seem to remember until now. Everything suddenly came back to him. He knew this woman, he's known her all along.  
Link immediately burst into tears. the old woman reached out and touched his cheek.

"Do you remember me Link?" She asked.

"Mama..." He said softly through his tears. And that's all he said. It was all he needed to say.

"Come here my little one, I want to hold you one last time." His mother said tenderly. 

Link, still weeping, lay his head down on his mother's chest. She soothed him by gently rubbing his ears and sang to him just like she used to when he was a child. He stayed with his mother to very the end. She died that night while he was in her arms. As she lie there motionless, he closed her eyes and kissed her goodbye. And even though she did not ask for it, he forgave her. All that mattered to him is that he finally got his mother back, even if it was for only a short time. And she sought him out so that they could reunite. So in a way, she kept her promise. She came back for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't do it, I just couldn't leave him without his mom. So I made this sappy bonus chapter to add on to the already sappy ending but idc all that matters is that he got his mom back.


End file.
